Music Review: True Blood – Music from the HBO Original Series

Vampires never seem to go out of style. In the sexy, highly addictive HBO series True Blood, vampire romance is given yet another go, this time in the fictional town of Bon Temps in rural Louisiana. The show follows the strange adventures of telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse, vampire Bill Compton, and other townspeople in Bon Temps. Bill has decided to go "mainstream" after vampires came "out of the coffin" and feed on the synthetic "True Blood" invented by a Japanese scientist, rather than on that of people. The show is based off the popular nine-volume (and growing) Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris.

True Blood – Music from the HBO Original Series is just as addictive and intoxicating as the show it comes from. Each of the tracks included here are completely originally and written specifically for the True Blood series. From the bayou to the bar, every song here captures the strange tension between the rural, country South and the bizarre, supernatural happenings around Bon Temps.

The best feature of the soundtrack is the song "Bad Things," by Jace Everett, the theme song of True Blood. While the shortest song in the bunch, it packs the most punch with a catchy, twangy country tune and a blatant message that perfectly fits the series. Even if you've never seen an episode of True Blood before, this song will make you want to get up and move.

While many other songs on the CD don't quite live up to "Bad Things," others such as "Bleed 2 Feed" and "I Don't Wanna Know" will still get the blood going. Even some of the slower, more romantic ballads here such as "Strange Love" and "Two" have a beauty all their own and help bring out the emotional underside of this edgy, mesmerizing soundtrack.

The only potential difficulty with this soundtrack is that it did not include any of the emotionally charged instrumental music used in the series. While this gives the soundtrack stronger "listenability" (as well as considerably easier to rock out to in the car), fans can miss out on some of the best music in True Blood.

Sexy and cut with an edge, the True Blood soundtrack is a surprisingly enjoyable listen and will have listeners reliving their favorite True Blood moments while anxiously waiting for the new season.